The Susquehanna SPCA is helping animals affected by Hurricane Helen across the South.
Transport of the dog and cat was made possible on Friday, Oct. 25, with flight assistance from the Bissell Pet Foundation’s animal incident management team and pilots to the rescue, according to an Oct. 24 news release.
“The team is leading a critical rescue effort, coordinating and funding the airlifting of 13 homeless pets from hurricane-impacted shelters in western North Carolina to new homes in New York.” It is stated in the release. “The pets on this plane were either put up for adoption before the storm or were surrendered to their owners after the storm.”
The release states that relocating homeless pets from damaged shelters “creates critical space to accommodate pets displaced by the storm and provide relief as facilities recover.” . BPF says it has transported more than 1,200 pets from shelters affected by recent hurricanes. Friday’s arrivals arrived at BGM Aviation Services in Johnson City by private jet coordinated by the foundation.
SQSPCA Executive Director Stacey Haynes said the Cooperstown facility is affiliated with the nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by Kathy Bissell.
“We have worked with them in the past and are on the list,” she said. “There are few organizations that reach out to us in situations like this, but Bissell was the first in this disaster.
“They emailed me and adopted five dogs a few weeks ago,” she continued. “The situation there was pretty bad, so I said, ‘These dogs are going to move soon.’ And they did, so I said, ‘Let me know if you need them again.’ ” On Tuesday, we held an event with Five Star Subaru and waived their “Make a Dog’s Day” adoption, which freed up a lot of space in our kennel. And on Wednesday, the Bissell Foundation reached out and said, “We have animals in need.” The situation in Asheville is still very bad and people are suffering. Do you think you guys can help too? ‘And the timing was great, so I said, ‘Yes, I can do it.’ ”
Haynes said the new arrivals were met by “a convoy of vehicles, including volunteers who drove to pick up our vans and planes.”
“We already have health certificates and medical records,” she said. “The animal shelters we support are really amazing. They send us everything so we’ll be ready when we get here, so it should be very smooth. .
“We’re really excited to be hosting it on Friday, and it will be available (Saturday) while the free event is still going on,” Haynes continued. “Those who haven’t been spayed yet will be spayed and neutered through us, but they may still be placed in foster care because we take them out of the shelter early. The more you can do that, the better.”
The new arrivals “come in a variety of sizes and breeds, from Shih Tzus to Anatolian Shepherds,” according to the release.
“All the animals are very friendly and eager to find their families,” it says. SQSPCA adoption fees have been waived until Saturday, October 26th, and cat adoptions will be available on a 2-for-1 basis until the end of the month.
Haynes said he hopes for a quick turnaround.
“Some of these animals have actually experienced trauma,” she says. “They were surrendered to families who had lost everything, or they were found as strays and faced the hardship of being a homeless dog on the street. And when you add a story to an animal, it makes it easier to care for them. The animals have appeared and have stories to tell.”
Oneonta resident William Rivera adopted his boxer, Tony, through the SQSPCA last week after he was rescued from hurricane-ravaged Tennessee.
“I never thought I would have a pet, especially a dog,” he said. “But certain circumstances gave me the opportunity to do it.My career has been focused for 20 years on helping crime victims and victims of crime; It was an opportunity for him to help others, something he had missed out on for a while.
“It came up on the (SQSPCA) social media page. All I had to do was send a quick message,” Rivera continued. “We picked him up the next day and the process was quick and easy. This is a phenomenal organization and Stacey is a phenomenal leader in our community and a true champion in her field. .”
Rivera said Tony’s story strengthened their bond.
“This was supposed to be just an upbringing,” he says. “But he’s not going anywhere. He’s part of our family now. He’s my best friend and a wonderful person. He’s probably my source of trauma more than anyone else. He is very patient, very loving and still open minded, but he is not at all the same as he was when I first picked him up. I needed him more than anything.”
Haynes said pet overpopulation in the South is an ongoing problem that gets worse during times of crisis.
“Overpopulation is even more severe in the South, so we often fly animals here that are actually suitable for adoption…and the Bissell Foundation finds ways to bring them here,” she said. “In the North, we understand very well that spaying and neutering is the key to reducing the number of unwanted pets…but in the South, this is less so. It’s even harder to find, and there’s a shortage of vets everywhere. There are just more animals than vets. But all the shelters here help when we can. Masu.”
Haynes credits community support for making this and other SQSPCA efforts possible.
“We are so grateful to be in a position to help. We are in a position to do so only because people in this community care about animals,” she said. Ta. “The people of North Carolina are very appreciative. The director of the animal shelter that we work with said, “This is really helpful because things are really difficult.” So if this is the case in the South, People should know that this is a very meaningful way to help those who are still suffering. ”
For more information, search “Susquehanna SPCA” on Facebook, visit sqspca.org or call 607-547-8111. For more information about Bissell Pet Foundation, visit bissellpetfoundation.org. Hurricane Rescue Team and other adoptable pets from the SQSPCA will be available for visitation on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
